Korean BBQ Beef

This was a really quick and simple marinade that was really good.  When I do it again I will serve it with some white rice and reserve 1/2 a cup of thickened marinade to pour over the top.

1 1/2 lb. London broil - pound really well before marinating to make it more tender.

1/2 c. rice wine or pear juice (1 4 oz. bottle of pear juice from the baby food aisle is perfect and cheap)

1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes it taste vaguely like beef jerky)

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce

1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Combine wine or pear juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add pounded steak. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill. Cook over medium-high heat for about 4-6 minutes per side, being careful not to let the meat get too cooked; it should be served medium-rare. Cut into 1/4" strips and serve immediately; serves 3-4.

Skor Trifle

1 box mix chocolate cake
2 boxes chocolate instant pudding
1 tub whipped topping (I made homemade whipped topping with 2 cups heavy whipping cream, 1 cup powdered sugar, and one teaspoon vanilla…it was really good!)
4  crushed up Skor bars, Heath bars, or whatever toffee bars you can get your hands on

Make cake and pudding ahead of time. In trifle dish or glass bowl layer crumbled cake, pudding, whipped topping and crushed Skor bar. Repeat 2-3 times, ending w/ whipped topping and Skor bar. Viola!

Zuppa Toscana Soup

1 pint heavy whipping cream

4 14oz can chicken broth

1 bunch kale

1 whole onion, cut in 1/2 and then sliced

1 lb sausage (I like spicy sausage)

4 russet potatoes

Salt

Red pepper flakes

Combine cream, chicken broth in a large stock pot and put over a medium heat.  Cut potatoes (can peel, but I like better with the peel) and toss into the pot.  Cook the sausage in a skillet and degrease when completely cooked.  Add to the stock pot.  Chop the kale into bite sized pieces and add to the stock pot.  Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste depending on how spicy you like it.  Cook until potatoes are soft and the kale is a bit crunchy.

Bone Fish Grill's Bang Bang Shrimp

TJ and I went to the Bone Fish Grill on our spring break road trip of 2011 and had this as an appetizer.  We absolutely LOVED it!  I found the recipe online and it's actually pretty close to the original.  It's really good and super easy!

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

4 teaspoons Chili Garlic Sauce (find this in the Chinese section of your grocery or in a Oriental Market) - I used 6 teaspoons because I like it a bit spicier

1 teaspoon granulated Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Rice Vinegar

2 lbs shrimp 31-40 count or smaller (not too small though)

3 cups corn starch

Chopped romaine lettuce

Green onions and/or peanuts for garnish

In a large bowl mix the mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar. 

In a deep fryer or sauce pan heat oil to 375 degrees.  Toss shrimp in corn starch and then straight into oil.  Cook for one minute and dry on paper towel. 

Put the cooked shrimp into the sauce bowl and toss.  Pour over a bed of romaine lettuce and garnish with green onions and/or peanuts.